Yarn clamping and severing means for knitting machines



y 1960 I A. E. READING, JR 2,934,922

YARN CLAMPING AND SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 195? E FlE- l INVENTOR. Auheus 5 Read/'17, Jl:

ATTORNEY.

May 3, 1960 A. E. READING, JR 2, ,922

YARN CLAMPING AND SE'VERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed vApril 26, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 //7 H6 ElE- 5..

w M l w /42 "j /45 I I l I "xi/m4 A TTORNE Y.

May 3, 1960 A. E. READING, JR 2,934,922

YARN CLAMPING AND SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 26, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 PlE- E 4 E I]! 7/ 3 3 32 7/ I l7? 4/ fi uumffi nfim w ggi 4/ '5"" 7 I l 72 I92 7; I: I 5 f 77 T I I I N V EN TOR. luv/mas E Read/1 7, Jr.

MQAV ATTORNEY.

May 3, 1960 A. E. READING, JR 2,934,922

YARN CLAMPING AND SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Apri126, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N V EN TOR. Aabeus E Read/h J: 90

ATTORNEY.

YARN CLAMP ING AND SEVERING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES V Alpheus E. Reading, Jr., Chalfont, 'Pa., assignor to-fllextile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 26;, 1957, Serial No. 655,398

7 Claims. (Cl. 66-145) This invention relates to knitting machines for forming fabric blanks and more particularly to means for clamp ing the ends of yarns prior to the feeding thereof to the loop forming elements of the machine and for severing such yarns between the clamping means and fabric blanks following both the introduction to and removal of the yarns from feeding action.

In multi-section knitting machines and particularly those of the type for knitting full-fashioned fabric blanks, yarns are fed by reciprocating yarn carriers to the loop forming elements to be knitted into loops. The yarn carriers are initially moved to feeding positions from inactive positions beyond the ends of the row of loop forming elements and in order to insure that the yarns are cor rectly fed to the loop forming elements the-ends of the yarns are held by clamps or other holding means. Following the knitting of a newly introduced yarn into a few courses of the fabric, the yarn extending between the fabric and the holding means is conventionally manually severed close to the fabric edge. Likewise, when the yarn carrier is returned to inactive position to remove its yarn from feeding position, the yarn is again conventionally manually severed close to the fabric edge and moved to inactive position and the other interknit with the main yarn or both reinforcing yarns may be removed and a further yarn introduced and interknit with the main yarn to complete .the stocking. Thus, in forming the conventional stocking at least four or five yarns are introduced and removed from feeding position in the various portions of the stocking. In other forms of stockings, there may be up to nine dilferent yarn changes made in knitting the various portions of the stockings. When it is considered that the operations to sever and attach the yarns to the holding means must be repeated for each new yarn introduced and removed from feeding position, as above set forth, in each section of the machine and the same operations repeated in all of the sections of the machine, which may be 30 or more, it will be apparent that considerable time and effort areexpended in performing these operations during the production of each set of blanks.

'Heretofore, devices have been devisedto mechanically sever and clamp the yarns upon removal thereof from knitting action. However, such severing and clamping were either limited to the yarns used in the widest portions of the fabric or were so complicated and cumbersome in nature and defectivein operation as to preclude their use in present multi-section machines. Other deneat-o "ice vices were employed to sever some but not all of the yarns when introduced into the fabric. However, these devices were not capable of severing the yarns when removed from feeding position, and consequently it was necessary to manually sever them and attach their ends, extending from the carriers, to the holding means. Thus while a few of the manual operations were eliminated the remaining manual operations incident to the severing and feeding of the yarns still constituted a major problem.

I 7 It is an object of the invention to provide a knitting machine with yarn severing and holding means that will overcome the above mentioned and other objections to prior known devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with means for holding the ends of the yarns extending from the yarn carriers during movement of the carriers to active yarn feeding position and means for again inserting theyarns into the holding means following movement of the carriers to inactive positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with means for clamping the ends of the yarns extending from the yarn carriers during movements of the carriers to active yarn feeding positions and for pulling the yarns extending between the fabric and the carriers moved to inactive position, into the clamping means prior to severing the yarns from the fabric, said means also having means for releasing the clamping ac- .tion at the time the yarns are pulled into the clamping means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with magnetically operated means for clamping the ends of the yarns extending from the yarn carriers and means for pulling the yarns into the clamping means and having means for releasing the holding action of the magnetically operated clamping means durmachine with means for clamping the ends of the yarns extending from the yarn carriers, means for pulling the yarns into the clamping means, and heated wire means for severing the yarns between the fabric and the clamping means, said heatedwire means also acting to sever a yarn between the main body portion of the fabric and the fabricating means of the machine after knitting of a fabric blank is completed.

With these and other objects in view which. will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and cooperation of parts, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a portion of a full-fashioned knitting machine having mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along the line 2-2 of'Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a portion of the mechanism of Fig. 3 and as viewed in the direction of the arrows 4--4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of certain of the mechanism shown in Fig. l and including a diagrammatic illustration of the foot and ankle portions of a flat stocking blank;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7-is an elevational view on an enlarged scale as viewed from the left of Fig. 6, parts being omitted;

Fig. 8 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6, certain of the partsbeing shown in different positions relative to Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detailed plan view on an enlarged scale of I the mechanism shown within-thearrows 9---9 on Fig. 6;

Fig. 10- is a cross sectional view taken along the line 1 -10 of Fig. 6; a

Fig. 11' is a cross sectional view'taken along the-line 11-11 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 1-2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken-along the line 12-42 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 13 is adetailed cross sectional view on anenlar'ged scale taken substantially along the line 13-13 of-Fig.

shown in different positions relative to including a pattern controlled means for operating the electrical circuit. 7

Referring to Figs. 1 and .2 of the drawings, there is shown a portion of a multi-section knitting machineof'the type shown in the Reading Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalog, published in 1952 by the Textile Machine Works, for knitting stocking blanks,j including center frames 25, a front beam 26, a back beam 27, a.

center bed 30 and a front bed 31. The beams and beds are secured to the center frames and to end frames (not shown) to form the usual framework of the machine. Each knitting section has a row of spring bearded needles 32 which are carried in a needle bar 35, the needles'cooperating with sinkers 36 and dividers'37 slidably carried in a sinker-head 40 secured to the center bed 30. The needles 32, sinkers 36 and dividers 37 are operated by lever means and cams (not shown) on a s aman main camshaft 39 to form yards fed thereto by yarn carriers 41 into loops of the stocking blanks, a foot portion of one of such blanks being diagrammatically shown at 43 (Fig. 5). The yarn carriers 41 are mounted on carrier rods 42 which are mounted for'reciprocatin'g movement in brackets 45 secured in the usual manner to the center bed 39'. The carrier'rods 42 and yarn carriers 41 are reciprocated back and forth across the row of'needles 32jby means of friction boxes'or likedrivingdevices which are in turn reciprocated by a coulier mechanism (not shown).

Also cooperating with the needles '32 of each knitting section to fashion the fabric blanks are points 46 "carried in combs 47 at each end of the rowof needles. The combs 47 are mounted on rods 50 which are supported for movement along the row of needles 32 in brackets 51 secured to a shaft 52 (Fig. 2). The shaft 52' is carried in arms (not shown) for movement toward and away from the needles 32. A linkage 55 connected to the shaft 52 engages a concentric disc 56 on the camshaft 39 to support the shaft 52 and combs 47 in inactive position during knitting cycles of the machine. During fashioning cycles of the machine, the linkage 55, and combs 47 are supported and operated by a cam 57 on the camshaft 39to effect cooperating movements of the points 46 and needles 32 in a usual manner. The camshaft 39 .is shifted between knitting and fashioning positions by cams 60 on the camshaft, the cams 60 forming a part of a pattern device 61 having a button chain 62 for controlling the various operating mechanisms of the machine.

Normally the yarn carriers 41 which supply yarns to each knitting section are in inactive position beyondone end or the other of the needle row as shown in Fig. 5,

be engaged by the yarns.

and when a carrier is to become active it is moved to feed its associated yarn to the needles. At the time the yarn carrier 41 is moved from inactive to active positions, the free end of the yarn extending from the end of the carrier must be held so that it will not be withdrawn from the carrier and so that it will be engaged by all of the needles to which it is to be fed. According to the instant invention,the yarns are soheld between a thin resilient plate spring 65 and a surface 66 of a bridge member 67, the plate spring being secured to said bridge member 67 by means of a screw 70 (Figs. 6, 12 and 17). One of the bridge members 67 is secured to the front bed 31 adjacent each end of the needle bar 35 (Figs. 1 and 5) and act in a usual manner to support a welt bar (not shown) formovement toward and away from the needles 32 to form a welt portion for'the stocking blank.

Following the movement of the yarns from inactive to the active knitting positions and again when the yarns are returned'to inactive positions, it is desirable that the yarns be severed, preferably at a point closely adjacent to the point on the selvage of the blank at which the yarns were introduced and removed from knitting action. For severing the yarns adjacent opposite selvages of the widest or welt portions of the blanks, in accordance with the instant invention, wire elements 71 are provided'Which are mounted onunits 72, one of which is carried in a bracket 75 secured to each of the bridge members 67 'by bolts 76 (Figs. 6 and 7). The units 72 are positioned to cause elements 71 to engage the yarns between the row of needles 32 and the plate springs 65, as shown in Fig. 5. The yarns, for reinforcing the selvages at opposite sides of the foot portions of the blanks, also engage the wire elements of the units 72 and a sec ond wire element 77 of aunit 80 positioned adjacent the selvages of the foot portions of the blanks. The units 80 are carried on arms 81 secured to a shaft 82 which is operated by means (not shown) to raise the units from an inactive position to an active position to The means for operating the unit 80 forms no part of the instant invention but may be generally of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,746,275, granted to A. J. Cobert, May 22, 1956.

The wire thread severing elements of the units 72 and 80 are of the resistance type which are-adapted to be heated to a predetermined temperature by passing an electrical current therethrough to sever the yarns by burning or melting. As diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 17, the wire elements are connected into an electrical circuit, preferably of 110 volts, comprising main conductors 85 connected by leads 86 and '87 to timer devices .90 and 91, respectively. The timer devices may be of any known commercial .type, such as theAgastat Timers, manufactured by'the Elastic Stop Nut Corp, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, which are adapted to close and hold the circuit closed through the elements 71 and 77 and other like elements as hereinafter set forth, for pre determined time intervals. The timer device 90 is shown as connected by means of a link 92 to one of a series of pattern levers 95 which are adapted to be operated by buttons on the chain 62 of the conventional pattern chain device 61 (Fig. '1). The timer device 90 is connected by leads 96 to a manually adjustable transformer 97 by means of which the voltage may be varied to increase or decrease the temperature of the elements 7i and 77. The elements 71 and 77 .of the various knitting sections of the machine are connected in series by leads 99 which are in, turn connected by. leads 100 to the transformer 97 to complete the circuit.

With the ends of the yarns from the various yarn carri'ers held beneath the plate springs 65, as a carrier for a welt or leg yarn is moved to feed its yarn to the needles 32,-.the yarn engages the element 71.nt the side of the knitting section from whichit is introduced into the fabric. After knitting several-courses of loops with the yarn,'a; button on the chain v62 operates the link 9.2 to

actuate the timer to close the circuit through the leads 96, transformer 97 and leads and 99 to heat the elements 71 to sever the yarn close to the selvage of the fabric. Likewise, when a carrier 41 is moved to feed a reinforcing yarn to the needles, this yarn also engages one of the elements 71. However, the reinforcing yarn is not severed until it is carried by the fabric, during the fabric take-up action of the machine, against one of the elements 77, which is raised at this time by rotation of shaft'82 under pattern control into a position to intercept the yarn. With this yarn engaging both of the elements 71 and 77, a button on the chain 62 operates .the timer 90 to energize and heat the elements 71 and 77 to sever the yarn in two places. After each such severing operation a short length of yarn extending between the elements 71 and the plate spring 65 remains beneath the plate spring and the short length of yarn extending between the elements 71 and 77 drops on a guard plate (not shown) which may be secured to the framework of the machine for this purpose.

After each yarn is removed from knitting action it must again be caught beneath one of the plate springs 65 to hold the end of the yarn from the carrier before the yarn is severed by one of the elements 71. For this purpose there is provided a yarn catching member which cooperates with each of the plate springs to engage and pull the yarns the'rebeneath. The member 105 has one arm 102 having a notch 101 in its free end and a straight leg portion 106 which is parallel to but offset from the arm 102, the arm and leg portions being connected by a transversely extending portion 107 (Figs. 6 and 8). A looped end portion 110 of the leg portion 106 is pivotally carried on a stud 111 secured to a plate-like member 112 pivotally mounted on a stud 115 secured in therbracket 75. Also pivotally mounted on the stud 115 between the member 112 and the bracket 75 is a lever 116 (Fig. 11) having its free end pivotally connected to one end of a rod or link 117 by means of a stud 120 (Figs. 8 and 9). The lever 116 carries a screw 121 having an end portion 122 projecting from the lever into a slot 125 in one end of a lever 126 (Figs. 8 and 10). The lever 126 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a stud 127 carried in the bracket 75. A tension spring 130 connected between the stud 111 on the member 112 and a projection 131 at the other end of the lever 126 acts to bias the member and lever relative to each other in a manner hereinafter set forth.

The leg 106 of the member 105 passes through and is guided in a slot 132 formed by loop portion 133 extending from one side of the link 117 and a spring 135 connected between the leg 106 and the link normally bi- -ases the arm to the right end of the slot (Figs. 6 and 9),

to determine the left position of the arm, as hereinafter secured to 'a' shaft pivotally mounted in the framework of the machine (Figs. 1 and 3). An arm 141, also carried on the shaft 140 in fixed relation to the arm 137, has its free end pivotally connected by means of a pin 142 to one end of a link or rod 145. The other end of the rod 145 is pivotally connected by a pin 146 to a lever 147 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 150 cartied in a bracket 151-secured to the back beam 27. A spring 152 connected between the lever 147 and a fixed part of the machine, biases a roller type follower 155 on the lever toward following engagement with a earn 156 on the camshaft 39.

Normally the end of the lever 147 is supported on one arm 157 of a lever 160 to hold the follower 155 in a positioncorresponding to the high portion of the cam 156. The lever 160 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 161 carried in a bracket 162 secured to the front beam 26. The free end of another mm 165 of the lever 160 is held in engagement with a collar 166 carried on a rod 167 which is slidably mounted in brackets 170 secured to the front beam 26. A spring 171 connected between the arm 165 and the rod 167 biases the end of the arm toward engagement with the collar 166 (Figs. 1 and 4). The rod 167 is connected to one of the levers 95 which is operated by a button on the chain 62 to move the rod to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, to turn the lever 160 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4, to remove the end 157 from beneath lever 147 and permit it to follow the cam 156.

In the left position of the member 105 as shown in Fig. 6 the end of the arm 102 is positioned within a slot 172 in the sinker-head 40 in back of or to the left of a yarn extending between a unit 72 and an idled yarn carrier 41 (Fig. 5). At this time the center line through the spring 130 is above the center of the stud 115 which causes the tension in the spring to bias the plate 112 counterclockwise against a pin 175 on the lever 116. Also at this time the end of the lever 147 is supported at its highest position by the arms 157 and the link 117 is in its furthermost position toward the left (Fig. 6). When the arm 157 is removed from beneath the lever 147 by a button on the chain 62, as hereinbefore set forth, which action is timed to occur when the high portion of the cam 156 is beneath the follower 155, the lever 147 follows from the high toward the low portion of the cam 156 to turn the'shaft 140 and arms 137 and 141 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3). Clockwise movement of the arm 137 moves the link 117 toward the right to turn the lever 116 clockwise about the stud 115 and the spring 135 draws the member 105 toward the right to engage the arm 102 with the yarn. Simultaneously with the clockwise movement of the lever 116, the pin 175 secured to the lever 116 engages and turns the plate 112 clockwise about the stud 115 and the end portion 122 of the screw 121 rotates the lever 126 counterclockwise about the stud 127.

As the link 117 continues to move toward the right and the lever 116 continues to turn clockwise through the action of the cam 156, the spring 135 draws the leg portion 106 of the member 105 against a pin 176 secured to the'bridge member 67 and the leg portion then rides downwardly along the pin to catch the yarn in the notch 101 in the arm 102. When the portion 107 of the member 105 reaches the underside of the pin 176 the member 105 is biased clockwise about the stud 111 by the spring 135, with the portion 107 sliding beneath the pin 176, to pull the yarn engaged in the nocth 101 to a point above and to the right of the free end of'the plate spring 65. During continued movement of the levers 116 and 126 and the plate 112, when the centerline through the spring 130 passes below the center of the stud 115'the spring acts to quickly turn the plate 112 clockwise about the stud 115 in the bracket 75 to engage a projection 177 on the plate with the leg portion 106. During further clockwise movement of the plate 112 the projection 177 moves the arm 102 into engagement with and downwardly along the pin 176 to pull the yarn between the plate spring 65 and the bridge member 67.

Following the foregoing movements of the parts to pull the yarn between the plate spring and bridge member, as the follower 155 rides from the low to the high part of cam 156 the lever 147 moves the link 117 to the left to turn the lever 116 counterclockwise to again position the parts as in Fig. 6. During these movements of the link and lever the end portion 122 of screw 121 turns the lever 126 clockwise and the end of the portion 133 of the link 117 engages and turns the member 105 counterclockwise to disengage the notch 101 from the yarn. counterclockwise movement of the member 105 also moves the plate 112 in the same direction. When the centerline of the spring 130 again moves above the center of the stud 115, the member 112 is turned counterclockwise relatively to the lever 116 to engage the pin 175 and to disengage the projection 177 from the member 105. During continued movement of the rod 117 to the left, the end of the arm and heat the wire element 195.

. A? 102 is again positioned in the slot 172 in the sinker-head for engagement with a yarn during a subsequent operation of the member as above set forth.

In order to facilitate the holding action of the plate spring 65 onthe yarns, the engagement of the plate spring with the bridge member is reinforced by a normally energized core member 179 of an electro-magnet 180 which .is secured to each of the bridge members 67 (Figs. 12

and 17). As shown in Fig. 17, the magnets 180 are connected to each other in parallel by leads 1.81 which are in turn connected by leads 132 to an adjustable transformer 186. One of the leads. 182 passes through the contact members of a normally closed micro-switch 185. The transformer 186 isconnected to. the leads '86 and 37 by leads 187 to complete the. circuit throughthe magnets. 1

Preferably during movement of the members topuil the yarns between the spring plates 65 and the bridge members .67, the .electro-magnets are de-energized to release the-irholding action on the springplates 65.. For so de-energizing the electro-magnets 180 at the proper time, one of the rods 117 is provided with a .cam projection 190 which is adapted to actuate a button 191 of the micro-switch 185 (Figs. 6 and 17), to open the switch upon movement of the rod toward .the right as herein- .before set forth.

Following the knitting of atab or tail v192 to theend of the foot portion 43 of the blank, inthe usual manner,

the carriers 41 for the yarns forming the tail are moved .foot portion of the blank. For this purpose there is provided a wire element 195 which is secured by screws 196 to a plate 197 of insulating material (Figs. 13 and 15). The plate 197 is secured to an arm 200 fixed on a shaft 201 rotatably carried in the brackets 51. The shaft 201 to adapted to be rotated to move arm 209 and wire element195 from the active position in which the wire element will engage the tail 19.2 to an inactive position (not shown). For holding the shaft 201 in active and inactive positions, the. shaft has fixed thereto a collar 2.02. having a pair of V-shaped notches 205, formed'in'one face-thereof (Figs. 14 and 16). Releasably seated in the notches 205. are balldetents 2% carried in openings 207 in a member 210 mounted on and slidable axially of the shaft 201. The member 210 has a forked portion 211 for engagement with a guide rod 212 (Figs. 13 and 14) carried in the brackets 51, to prevent the member from turning with the shaft 291 when it is moved between active and inactive positions as above set forth. A compression spring 215 carried on the shaft 201between the member 210 and a collar 216 fixed on the shaft maintains the ball detents 206 in engagement with the notches 205 in both active and inactive positions of the, shaft.

As shown in Fig. 17, the wire elements 195 of each of the sections of the machine are connected to each other in series by leads 21-7 which are in turn connected by leads 229 to an adjustable transformer 221. 1 The transformer 221 is connectedby leads22.2 t0..th timer device 91. The timer device 91 is connected by a link 225 to one of the pattern levers 95 Whichis actuated by buttonson the chain 62.. When the desired length of .tail fabric is knitted a button on the chain 62 actuates the lever 95 and link 2225 to operate and close the circuit through the timer device 91 and transformer to energize The machine is then operated through an idle narrowing cycle to lower the wire element into engagement with the tail 192,130 sever .said tail, thus. leaving a portion of the tail on theneedles ,32 which is connected by lengthslof yarn extending to and between the spring plates and the bridge. members 67 as hereinbefore set forth. A button on the chain also actuates the timer device 90 to close the circuit through and heat the wire elements 71 to, sever the yarns. The machinev 1S2lh1l idly operated :to knit or cast the remaining portion of the tails 192 from the needles 32.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above'described re sults are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

1 claim:

1. In a straight knitting machine having loop forming elements and yarn carriers for feeding yarns to said loop forming elements to be formed into fabric thereby, clamp means for holding the ends of yarns extending from said carriers, an arm, means for operating said arm to pull said yarns intosaid clamp means and means for relieving the holding action ofsaid clamp means during said operation of saidv arm;

2. ,In a straight knitting machine having loop forming elements and yarn carriers for feeding yarns to. said loop forming elements to be formed into fabric thereby, clamp means for holding the ends of yarns extending from said carriers, an arm, means for operatingsaid arm to pull said yarns into said clamp means, and means actuated by said operatingmeansfor said arm to relieve the holding action of said clamp means.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine having knitting elements and carriers for feeding yarns to the knitting elements to be formed into fabric thereby, in combination with ,e'lectro-magnetic means for holding the ends of the yarns extending from said carriers, means for pulling said yarns into said holding means, means for operating said yarn pulling means, and means for operating said electromagnetic means to release the holding action on said yarns during operationof said yarn pulling means.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine having knitting elements, and carriers for feeding yarns to the knitting elements to be formed into fabric thereby, in combination with electro -magnetic holding means for said-yarns, means for'pulling said yarns into said holding means ineludingan arm and cam operated means for actuating ,said arm, means for releasing the holding action of said electromagnetic holding means during actuationof said arm by said cam operated means.

5. In a straight knitting machine having knitting ele- .ing elements and carriers for feeding yarns to said loop forming elements to be formed into fabricthereby, in combination with electr'o-magnetic means for holding the ends of yarns extending from said carriers, a normally closed electrical circuit for said electro-magnetic means, an arm, operating means for moving said arm to engage and pull said yarns into said holding means, and means actuated by said operating means for openingthe electrical circuit for releasing the holding action of said eleetro-magnetic means onsaid-yarns.

7. In a straight knitting machine having loop forming elements and yarn carriers, said yarn carriers having active positions for feeding yarns to said loop forming elements to be formed into fabric thereby and inactive positions in which no yarns are fed to said loop forming elements, clamp means for holding the ends of the yarns extending from said carriers, means for pulling said yarns into said clamp means, said yarn pulling means including an arm having a notch for engaging said yarns, means 'for operating said arm including a cam and operating connections between said arm and said cam, means for operating said clamp means to release the clamping action on the yarns during actuation of said operating means for said arm, and pattern means for controlling the actuation of said operating means for said arm and said operating means for said clamp means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

